Traffic heading away from the Blackwall Tunnel regularly clogs up east and south-east London’s roads
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has today approved London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s plans to build the Silvertown Tunnel, a new road under the Thames from the Royal Docks to the Greenwich Peninsula.
The No to Silvertown Tunnel campaign has been challenging these plans for nearly five years, conducting air quality tests, holding public meetings and lobbying local politicians. We’re grateful to everybody who has helped our cause over the years.
No to Silvertown Tunnel chair Anne Robbins said:
“We’re disappointed, but we are proud to have spoken up for communities on both sides of the Thames who objected to having more traffic imposed on them.
“We still believe that this will ultimately make the congestion problem worse, by adding to traffic jams elsewhere. The environmental mitigation suggested – such as running a cycle bus through the tunnel – is a hollow joke, while tolls will just punish those who need to use the tunnel.
“This sends a terrible message to the wider world: that London is closed to new thinking on how to deal with congestion. Sadiq Khan needs to think long and hard if he wants to be the mayor that condemns thousands of people to more congestion and pollution by going ahead with this tunnel.
“We’d like to thank all those who have supported our campaign for all their help and assistance. Whatever we do next, we have been inspired by those elsewhere who have been campaigning against road building and for better air quality.”
A decision about the future of the campaign will be announced in due course.
Full details of today’s decision can be found on the Planning Inspectorate website: infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/london/silvertown-tunnel/